Well-Deserved
by OceansAria
Summary: A couple of years down the road, Anna and Kristoff are married and expecting something-or someone-very special. *FLUFFINESS ENSUES SO BRACE YOURSELVES* *MAJOR SPOILERS...I GUESS* *RATED T FOR IMPLEMENT OF STUFF OK*
1. Chapter 1

Hi,** beautiful people! It's me! I'm still alive and kicking!**

**And I have a new obsession..lolz, surprise surprise, am I right? I mean, how can you NOT be obsessed with this movie?! It's so freaking adorable and heartbreaking and it gives me so many FEELS. So, here you go! The product of all my feels! **

**I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think below! I love critcisim, especially constructive!**

**XOXO, **

**OceansAria :)**

**PS: the link to my drawing that inspired this little drabble is here: #/art/Well-Deserved-418608644?_sid=43430513**

* * *

**The gorgeous mid-summer day scorched on** without her as she lay imprisoned to her bed. For over a month now, this was all the princess of Arendelle had done. Read, sleep, eat. Sleep, eat, read. Eat, read, sleep-in all of those different orders. Just to change it up a bit so she wouldn't absolutely lose her mind.

Anna had gone through at least thirty novels at this point—and she usually wasn't such an avid reader. Sure, she loved a good mystery novel to be absorbed in, but after four solid weeks of nothing but book after book, she swore she would vomit if she had to skim through another.

Being locked inside the castle was literally killing her. Her skin had grown pale from lack of sun and she was constantly aching. She craved to be running around the town square or trekking up the mountainside with her special someone, hand in hand. Sometimes Elsa would come visit her when she had a moment away from all of her "queenly" duties. Olaf dropped in often with tales of the outside world. He would shower Anna in flowers and chocolates and little knick knacks from the local shops. And though Anna appreciated all these things, she envied them all for being able to move about as freely as they liked.

She voiced her jealousy quite frequently, and soon, Olaf's visits got further and further apart because he hated making Anna jealous.

As she lay there, propped up on a couple of goose-down pillows, she sighed. It was about four in the afternoon. She knew that he would be home soon, and something inside of her warmed just at the thought of him. Her room was unbearably cool to her skin without him there to keep her toasty. But it was mainly due to her condition that she felt that way. She rung the tiny golden bell for the maid, who happily acquiesced to her request to open her balcony doors and let in the lofty summer breeze.

"Anything else you need, Your Highness?" the maid asked as she fluffed Anna's pillows to make her more comfortable. "Are you in pain? Should I call the doctor?"

Anna smiled gratefully and sunk back into the pillows once the maid was done. "No, Mary. I'm fine. Just bored to tears, is all. But thank you."

"Would you like another book—"

Anna cut her off curtly. "_No_." The maid's eyes widened. Anna softened. "Sorry. No, I wouldn't. I'm sick of books."

"How about I ask the Queen to come talk to you?"

The princess frowned and turned her face to glance at the balcony, longing for the summer sun to beat down on her shoulders and her hair and turn her cheeks rosy. "No. I don't want to cast my gloom and doom on Elsa, too."

Mary smiled sympathetically. "Yes, milady." She began to back out of the door slowly. "Just ring if you need anything—a blanket, a drink, or someone to talk to."

"Thanks, Mary." Anna said without emotion, though she was thankful at heart.

The princess dozed for another hour or so before she woke with a start when the door creaked open. Immediately, she grabbed a nearby candlestick without thinking and raised it above her head. Her heart was pounding like a horse's hooves in her chest. "Who's there?" she shouted.

Kristoff peeked around the edge of the door with an apologetic smirk. "Hold it there, feistypants. I didn't mean to wake you."

Anna dropped the candlestick and grinned at him, wishing she could jump out of the bed and into his arms. "I missed you so much today!" she cried as he came closer, sitting down on the best next to her with an equally huge grin on his face. She grabbed him and kissed him hard on the lips as soon as he was in range.

He made a noise of surprise against her mouth, but returned the favor—wrapping his muscular arms around her waist the best he could. "I missed you, too," he chuckled when she'd let go of his collar. Kristoff stroked the bangs out of her big blue eyes and kissed the tip of her nose. "How are you feeling?"

Anna shrugged. "Same. Tired, bored, losing my mind."

Her husband grimaced understandingly. "I know. I'm sorry. Being on bedrest must really suck."

"You should be," Anna growled playfully. "You're the one that did this to me." She gestured to her stomach dramatically.

Kristoff joined in on the joke. He raised an eyebrow. "You know, I kinda thought it was a consensual thing . . ." He placed a large, callused hand on her swollen abdomen and couldn't help but give a giddy half-smile. And _Darn, he was just so irresistable when he did that!_ Anna thought, her gusto fading.

The princess jutted out her chin, looking for a retort, but then she couldn't help but giggle. His big brown eyes were just making her melt like a block of ice in the sun. Speaking of ice—

"So how was work today?" Anna asked. She patted the place next to her on the bed and Kristoff climbed up, snaking an arm around her shoulders just the way he knew she loved. She cuddled up against his broad chest, soaking up his warmth like a sponge through his thin shirt.

"Work was great. We sold out pretty early today."

"Then what took you so long to get back home?" Anna pouted.

"I was getting these," he replied, pulling a pair of baby booties and a precious little white nightgown with lace crochet out of the coin bag tied at his waist. Anna gasped and giggled in delight. Kristoff continued, "Hulda made them for the baby. She said that the lace took her the longest, because she wanted it to be perfect."

Anna leaned up and planted another kiss on his lips. "Well, tell her they are! I love them!" She draped the nightgown across her belly and set the booties there too. "How does it look?" she asked, giving her husband a supposedly seductive look, jutting out her hip and posing against the pillows.

"I don't think it fits quite right just yet," he laughed.

As the two continued to talk, Anna began to feel small little _thump-thumps_ in her lower stomach. She cut off her husband mid-sentence by grabbing his hand and slapping it against her stomach.

He began to panic. "Anna, what—"

"The baby's kicking again!"

Kristoff's eyes widened happily. Whenever the baby kicked, he wasn't there to feel it. And when he _was_ there, the baby refused to do it. He scooted down and placed his ear against his wife's huge stomach (she was almost eight months along now, and had been right at seven when the doctor put her on bed rest due to the possibility of the baby coming too early). Anna watched him happily as he wrapped his arms around her midsection and closed his eyes, listening for the tiny baby's feet.

She knew the baby had complied when a huge grin split his face.

"I still don't believe it," he breathed. The princess didn't even have to ask. It was even hard for her, the huge pregnant girl carrying the child, to believe at times. That, in no less than a month, she would be a mother. And that Kristoff—her goofy, adorable, mountain man Kristoff—would be a father. That they would be a complete family: Anna, Kristoff, the baby, and Elsa.

Anna gently ran her fingers through her husband's hair as the sun began to set outside her balcony window. The scarlets and burning oranges danced across his closed eyelids and his blond hair, bouncing off the room around them and turning his white linen shirt a multitude of sunsets. She could still feel the baby moving about as she began to doze off. Somewhere in between reality and sleep, she heard Kristoff begin to snore. And with that, she was out like a light.

About an hour down the road, the maid named Mary snuck in to check on the princess and prince consort, only to find the couple in the same position, passed out on the bed. She giggled at how Kristoff's long legs hung off the side of the mattress. Hoping not to disturb them, she closed the door with a smile and decided to come back later when they awoke from their well-deserved nap.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! So I promised y'all another chapter! And here it is! **

**Thank you all soooo much for the love on this story! I got a lot of requests for more, and I hope to have the next chapter up by this weekend or next Monday. I actually wrote this entire chapter in one sitting because I had an idea and went with it! Gosh, it feels so good to write again! I missed it!**

**I hope you guys enjoy! Let me know if you want more, and if there's anything at all that I should change! I like constructive criticism!**

**XOXO,**

**OceansAria :)**

* * *

**There were those days in the castle **that were sweet and full of love, and then there was also those days when the exact opposite happened. When the tension in the air was so thick that not even Kristoff's pickaxe could slice through it.

The princess had awoken to her husband's side of the bed cool and empty, as it had been almost every day since they got married. She rarely awoke up to his fireside-like warmth surrounding her. And for some reason, on this particular morning, she really hated his job and hated that he left her so early every day. Pouting, she buried her head in the pillows and slept for another hour before a knock came at her door.

"Milady?" It was Sherman, one of the many servants that had been around as long as Anna could remember. _He must be older than dirt, _Anna thought as she raised her head.

"Yes?"

"The Queen requests your presence in her room for breakfast, Your Highness."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Elsa knows I'm not allowed to be up and about much, Sherman."

"Yes, the Queen does know that, milady," Sherman replied primly. "But she talked with the Court Physician and he agreed that since you've been very good and rested aplenty—" (Anna winced. She hadn't been _that _good. Sometimes, when Mary thought she was napping, she snuck down to the kitchens or the library) "—That you may dine with your sister this morning. Afterwards, you must return to your chambers and follow doctor's orders."

Anna's spirits lifted slightly. Smiling, she rang the bell for Mary. "Please tell Elsa that I'll be there soon, Sherman!"

"Yes, Your Highness." She could practically see the bow through the door as the servant dismissed himself.

A few moments later, Mary arrived and began to help the princess out of bed and into a wheelchair. She brushed Anna's strawberry blond hair and plaited it into neat braids. The princess watched as Mary did so, thinking of the white streak that had disappeared from her mane years before. Sometimes, she missed it.

As soon as Anna was cleaned up, Mary wheeled her out of her room to Elsa's, down the hall. The room, as always, was cooler than any other in the castle. Though the balcony doors were open to the garden below, the summer air made no difference to the room's temperature. Anna shivered but bore it. She hadn't seen her sister in a day or two. Elsa, in all of her icy splendor, sat in a straight-backed chair the furthest away from the fire, with another chair across the table from her closer to the hearth. She wasn't one for cozying up near the fire.

Elsa stood with a cool smile on her red lips. She nodded at Mary, who stopped Anna right beside the chair. "Thank you, Mary. I've got it from here."

Mary curtsied and quietly let herself out. Elsa turned to her younger sister. Anna raised her eyebrows.

"You can't lift me out of this thing by yourself, Elsa," Anna said. "I've gained at least twenty pounds."

Elsa again gave her a sauve smile. "It's okay. Just watch." She gently swirled an icy breeze around and under Anna with just a flex of her slender wrists. The princess gasped in surprise as she was lifted a good six inches into the air and drifted towards the chair by the hearth with ease. When she had been settled comfortably into the chair, her bare feet warming on the grates of the fire, she smiled at her older sister.

"You're amazing, you know that, right?"

Elsa chuckled, tucked her skirts, and sat. "You could mention it more."

Instead of a huge, grand breakfast like usual, there was a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and strawberries; a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice; a fuzzy peach just picked; and a whole-grain muffin that had a whole load of raisins. Elsa's breakfast was pretty similar, except for the glass of ice water in place of orange juice.

"What? No pancakes? Where's the extra-chocolate hot chocolate? With the whipped cream and peppermint shavings?" Anna complained. She poked at her lumpy oatmeal. She'd been eating huge breakfasts since the beginning of her pregnancy. Unlike other women, she didn't have morning sickness. For some odd reason, she usually got sick around lunch time.

Elsa raised a sharp eyebrow. "You need to eat better, Anna. You're eating for two, remember? You've got to keep that baby—and its mother—healthy and strong." She gestured at Anna's bowl with her spoon before digging into her own breakfast.

Anna deflated. She'd felt a cloud of irritation and anger hanging over her since she had woken up. She had no idea why, but she was absolutely furious—at Kristoff, at her sister, at the Court Physician. She was mad with _everyone_. They all had been telling her what to do and when to do it since the day she'd found out she was pregnant. She couldn't even make decisions for herself anymore.

_Don't eat that, Anna. Stay in bed, Anna. Don't run, Anna. Be careful, Anna. Don't do anything stupid that could hurt the baby, Anna. _

The princess stayed silent as she played half-heartedly with her oatmeal, her pale hand resting on her large stomach. She loved this baby more than she ever thought she could love someone she'd never met. But she felt as if she _knew_ this child already. It was her and Kristoff's child—so she, or he (Kristoff really wanted a little boy), would be funny, stubborn, and overdramatic at times. This child would have her fiery personality and Kristoff's sarcastic sense of humor. He would be the perfect mixture of the two of them, swirled into one being.

She would never do anything to hurt her baby. But sometimes . . . and she hated to admit it . . . Anna wished she hadn't gotten pregnant. She had missed out on so much in the past eight months. Her cousin, Princess Rapunzel of Corona, had planned to throw a huge baby shower for her, but she'd missed it because she'd been too sick from the baby. She'd been able to open all the presents in her room the day after, but she didn't get to eat the yummy ten-layer double fudge cake or talk to all of her friends that she hadn't seen since she'd gotten married. She'd been bitter for days over that.

"Anna?"

"Hmm?" The princess had been deep in her turmoiling thoughts. Obviously, from the look her sister was giving her, Elsa had called her more than once.

"Are you going to eat?" Concern glinted in the queen's blue eyes. She had already consumed half of her bowl of porridge in the time Anna had been thinking.

The princess sat back in her chair; her spoon clattered in the bowl. Anna crossed her arms over her stomach, still deep in thought. "No. I'm not really hungry."

Elsa sighed, feeling slightly exasperated. She set down her spoon, wiped her mouth with her napkin, and began: "Anna, you know that you need to—"

"I _know_!" Anna cried, her voice tight with frustration. "I need to eat to keep the baby healthy! I know, okay?" Her eyes locked onto her sister's for a split second—Elsa saw a storm raging behind those eyes, a storm like the one that had swallowed up their parents years before. "But I don't _want_ to eat right now. I'll eat later."

The queen's forehead wrinkled.

"Is something wrong?"

Anna kept her face directed at the orange and blue flames flickering in the hearth. They reflected in her eyes. Her chin was jutted out stubbornly. "No. Nothing's wrong. Everything's just _perfect_." She hissed out the words.

"Did you and Kristoff have another fight over what to name the baby?" Elsa sighed.

Anna rolled her eyes harshly. "No."

Her sister wasn't softening. Elsa grew more worried by the second. She folded her hands in her lap and kept up the façade of the serene, strong queen. "Did you and Kristoff have a fight over something else?" Knowing her brother-in-law and her sister, they sometimes fought over the simplest of things. Once, they'd had a knockdown-drag-out over the flavor cake they should have at their wedding reception. The servants had to tiptoe around the couple for days.

"No," Anna huffed. "We haven't fought about anything. We're both perfectly fine."

Confused still, Elsa decided to just let her younger sister stew for a while and then, when the princess was ready, she'd confess. For the next five minutes, the two girls sat in silence until Anna dug a tiny gold bell out of her dress pocket and rung it. Mary, who had been standing right outside of the door, came in.

"You don't have to go back to your room just yet, Anna," Elsa said as Mary gently slid the princess into the wheelchair. It completely slipped the queen's mind to help. "I know that you hate being locked up in there all the time."

Anna turned her back on her sister, her tiny shoulders hunched. "I just want to be alone for a little while." Her voice was as small and meek as a child's. However, fury boiled underneath. "Thanks again for breakfast, Elsa."

Not another word was uttered between the queen and the princess as Anna was wheeled out. Elsa sat there, her hands clenching the arms of her chair. She hated seeing her sister in such a state. She wished she could help somehow. After almost two decades of being kept apart, Elsa never wanted to be cut off from her sister ever again. The breakfast laid out before her began to grow cold as it was forgotten by both women at this point.

A knock on the door suddenly cut off the queen's train of thought.

"Yes?" she answered absentmindedly.

A maid no older than her with dark hair poked her head inside the queen's chambers. "Your meeting with the Prime Minister awaits, milady."

"Ah, yes. The Prime Minister." Elsa stood and brushed the crumbs off her dress. She turned to glance in a mirror. "Tell him I'll be there in a minute."

The door shut softly. She tried to hold it in, but her anxiety got the best of her. Ice trailed from her fingers wherever she touched the tablecloth before her as she recalled what the Prime Minister wished to talk to her about.

An alliance with a distant country.

An alliance through marriage.

With shaky hands, Elsa opened her door and walked, back straight and confident smile plastered on, to the meeting. She'd have to worry about Anna later.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3, just cuz I couldnt help myself! Yall are amazing! I've read so many sweet comments on this story! **

**I just want to thank all of you! This story wouldn't even have a third chapter if it weren't for you! This was originally going to be a one-shot, but with all of the requests for a second chapter, I wrote one. And now, a third!**

**Chapter 4 will hopefully be up in a couple of days! I have a lot of long shifts at work coming up this week, as well as school, so it may be later than I hope.**

**Let me know what you think in the comments below! Even if you don't like it! I am always welcome to constructive criticism :)**

**XOXO,**

**OceansAria :)**

* * *

**Anna wallowed in her self-pity for a few hours more** before she drifted off to sleep in her chambers midafternoon. She dreamt of another adventure in the mountains with her mountain man and his reindeer, and when she awoke, she was somewhat happier.

She ate an apple and drank some water after her nap. Olaf had dropped by when she was sleeping, leaving a bouquet of freshly picked wildflowers as a token of his affection for her. She inhaled the sweet scent of the daisies as she rested against the pillows. Oh, how she missed the outdoors!

As the afternoon went on, the irritation and anger began to creep back up on the princess like the way a snake slithers along the earth. _Kristoff should've been back by now,_ she thought when she heard the six o'clock bells ringing out from the cathedral. She decided to stay calm and not assume the worse. Sometimes, he would go and visit his family or stay a little longer in town doing business before returning to the castle. Just like the day before, when he'd gone for a brief visit to see his family. There was nothing to get her panties in a wad over.

But the more Anna tried to surpress it, the worse it got. She was worried, and she was angry; she wanted to run out and find her husband and make sure he was okay, but she also wanted to wring his neck for making her so upset. Anna could feel her emotions swirling inside of her like a hurricane. She couldn't calm down. She itched to be free—to run, to dance, to live her life again.

Closer to seven, Anna asked Mary to wheel her around the palace because she hadn't seen the Portrait Room - her favorite besides the ballroom - in what felt like a million years. Mary obliged. As they moseyed down the hall, Anna greeted servants and maids with a tight smile. Her usual cheer was gone. Many of them noticed it but didn't remark upon the situation. They knew that the princess had an inconsolable spirit and temper, and they didn't want to do anything to hurt her feelings.

The princess's fingers fidgeted inconsolably in her lap as Mary turned her down another hall. Her anxiety was getting the best of her. _Where is he?_

Finally, just as they were reaching the grand front doors to the castle, she saw a familiar figure rushing towards her from the doors. His hair was filled with snow; his cheeks were rosy from the chill of the mountain air. "Anna!"

"Kristoff!" Before Mary could even object, the princess pushed her heavy body up out of the wheelchair with a sudden burst of adrenaline. She stumbled from the lack of use of her legs, but warm, strong arms were there to catch her. She glanced up into his caramel brown eyes—and she saw pure fear and anguish. She touched his icy cheek. "Kristoff, what's wrong?"

"My men," he said, his voice rough. "They were harvesting some ice they had found left behind on a lake when they were ambushed. They were beaten, robbed, and left to die. I just got word of it."

Anna's heart broke for her husband. All of the men on Kristoff's team were good friends of his, and he trusted them with his life—as they did with him. She clutched the thick sleeves of her husband's coat. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to go after them, of course!"

Anna nodded. "Yes. Of course. I'll call up a group of men to go with you and—"

He shook his head fiercely, snow flying everywhere. "_No_."

"Excuse me?"

"No. I can do this alone, Anna."

Anna retorted, "Well you can't go up there on your own! You'll freeze to death, or worse!" Her body trembled slightly, just thinking of all the horrid things that could happen to Kristoff if those robbers got their nasty hands on him.

"I'll take Sven and the sleigh and one of the guards," Kristoff said stubbornly—really, he only said this to calm down his wife. "If a huge group of men are seen trekking up the mountainside, and the culprits are still out there, the same thing could happen to us."

Anna opened her mouth to once again protest, but her husband cut her off by planting his lips over hers. She melted as he kissed her hard - harder than he'd ever kissed her. She could feel his desperation and his pleading in the kiss. His arms were taut around her middle as he pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. She felt like a melted popsicle in the summertime from the look he gave her. Whatever she said wouldn't affect him. He'd made up his mind.

"I'll be back in three days or less. They're deep in the Southern Mountains from what I've found out." He whispered hoarsely. He caressed her pale cheeks and her red-gold hair like it was the last time he'd be able to. Anna quivered. "Don't do anything stupid, Anna. Be safe. Protect yourself and our baby, okay?"

She nodded, though anger rose up in her when he said for her not to "do anything stupid". Did everyone really have to treat her like an obnoxious child?

He kissed her again—a light peck on the lips this time. His voice made her shiver. "I love you."

The princess tried hard to smile. But her hormones were getting the best of her and she felt like she was going to cry. "I love you, too. Be careful, please. For me."

And with that, he let go of her and was gone. Anna teetered on her feet; Mary was there to catch her with the wheelchair. "Oh, dearie! We must get you back to your room at once! You're whiter than a ghost!"

For once, the princess didn't protest. What little bit of energy she'd gain from her nap had been sapped and she felt as if the world were spinning. Before she even made it back to her room, she had been taken by her dreams into a much sweeter world than reality.

* * *

**When Elsa arrived at the meeting**, everyone was already there waiting for her. They stood around talking and discussing important matters until the queen was announced and the room hushed like the eye of a hurricane.

The men bowed and the women curtsied as she made her way to her throne. She dipped her head in respect to each one, even smiling at a few. As soon as she was seated, the meeting began.

And so it droned on for two hours. There were many arguments and few agreements to balance it all out. By the end, Elsa felt as if she were going to throw up. Her stomach hurt due to her lack of breakfast and the news she'd received from the Prime Minister.

_Less than a week. _ The prince that she was supposed to court - or he was supposed to court her - was to be there in less than a week! She had no time to prepare herself. The last time she'd ever let a man in the castle walls—besides her brother-in-law who was as harmless as a fly—everything had been turned upside down . . .

Thinking of _him_ hurt. It felt as if someone had impaled her with one of her own icicles. The air was too thin as she returned to her chambers to do much-needed paperwork. All the while, as she locked the door and ordered the servants away to do other chores, she shook uncontrollably. She settled herself at her desk and picked up the fountain pen to begin on a pile of documents that had been sitting there for days, but she couldn't do anything besides picture his handsome face. He had betrayed her. Utterly and completely _betrayed_ her.

And yet, a part of her—a deep down, teeny tiny part of Elsa—still loved him.

She recalled the summers before she'd locked herself away in her room from any and everyone. The Southern Isles' clan would always visit to talk about trade and the like, and being that Hans was her age, she would play with him the most. Usually, his older brothers would either stay behind or be involved in the meetings.

At such a young age, she never really felt anything for him besides friendship. But after her parents shut the gates, she held onto that blossoming friendship like it was her lifeline. They wrote each other back and forth for many years in secret. It was one of the few joys of Elsa's life growing up. Over time, they ended up falling in love.

Or so she thought.

For months, she believed that he loved her. She believed it so much and held onto the hope that when they saw each other again when she turned twenty-one, he would ask to court her. She practiced controlling her powers everyday so that when the time came, she wouldn't harm him. In the letters she received leading up to her coronation, he always signed: _Love, Hans._

Her coronation came. She was terrified that she would hurt someone, that her magic would be revealed, and that she would be shunned for all eternity. But a small part of her smiled because she knew that Hans would be there, in person, for the first time in forever.

She didn't get to see him until the celebration afterwards. Being the new queen, she stood stationed by her throne, and chatted with those who approached her. She never left her spot. However, towards the end of the evening, she had began to roam about in the crowd, feeling her anxiety subside— but that was when she heard Anna calling her name.

Her younger sister, rosy and grinning, pulled a handsome man up beside her in front of the queen and announce that they wanted her blessing for their sudden engagement.

Of course, Elsa was going to refuse anyway, but when Anna said his name, her heart shattered inside. He didn't even look at her like they'd been friends for over a decade. Hans only had eyes for Anna. Beautiful, fiery, spirited Anna whom everyone loved more.

Heartbroken, Elsa refused the marriage. She shut herself off from feeling what she had felt for him. And what ensued afterwards, many already know.

When Elsa was locked away in the dungeon, Hans came to visit her. He sat down next to her and begged for her to stop the eternal winter. "I _can't_," she had said desperately, trying not to cry. She looked into his beautiful eyes, so warm, so sweet, and felt like she had been punched in the gut. All of those years of friendship and love had been thrown away in less than forty-eight hours.

"When did you stop loving me?" she'd blurted without abandon.

Hans had stuttered out, "I-I never stopped loving you, Elsa. I just . . . I guess I just _fell_ _in love_ with someone else." Then he'd settled his hand on her arm and said, "I'll do what I can to get you out of here, okay?" He kissed her forehead. Before she could react, he disappeared.

Elsa, back in reality, shut her eyes as she remembered the maniac glint in Hans' usually kind eyes when he'd raised the sword to end her after telling her that her sister was dead. How had she ever loved such a monster? How had she fallen for his put-on charm? She was such a fool! All of those years, he'd been playing her!

Biting her lip, Elsa let her head fall into her hands. "This prince isn't Hans. You can do this. It's for the good of the kingdom."

But the ice queen knew that she could never let herself love another the way she had loved Hans. She'd locked away that part of her soul a long time ago.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys! I wrote another chapter!**

**Tbh, I'm not sure I love it. . . mainly because it's a fill chapter, so the next couple ones will be much more exciting than this one. I had to write a lot of emotional pregnant Anna before I could get to some *hint hint* adventure.**

**Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Please let me know what you think in the comments! (whether you hated it or not)**

**Hopefully the next chapter will be up by Friday or Saturday!**

**XOXO,**

**OceansAria :)**

* * *

**Anna was stumbling across the frozen wasteland** of ice again, just as she had two years before, trying to get to Kristoff. She tried to scream his name, but it came out as a whisper that was caught by the wind and taken away. She'd already been let down by the man she thought had loved her. Now Kristoff was her only chance.

He was running towards her, slipping and stumbling on the ice to save her. And just as he was getting close enough to her, she turned to her left.

There stood Hans, the sword in his hand glinting in the blinding white around them. And at his feet sat the queen, crumpled in despair.

_Why is Elsa here?_

"Elsa . . . ?" she gasped. She watched with fear coiling in her gut as Hans raised the sword over her sister's back. _No!_ She thought. Glancing to Kristoff, she held back tears. She couldn't be saved. She had to save her sister even if Elsa didn't care about her—even if Elsa didn't love her, she had to do it. _I can't let her die._

Dashing as quickly as she possibly could with her frozen solid feet in Hans' direction, Anna prayed that she would make it in time.

But the sound of Elsa's scream pierced the icy air before Anna was even halfway there.

"_Elsa_!" Anna screeched, her voice ragged.

Her last glimpse was of Hans' eyes full of disgusting pride and joy over his accomplishment, and of Elsa falling to the ground, hands reaching for something, anything, to help her.

Midstride, Anna turned into ice.

And suddenly, she was back at the altar on her wedding day. She wore a gorgeous white dress that was simple yet elegant, spun by Elsa's own hands. Her veil was crafted of snowflakes and icicles, and she felt the giddiness growing inside of her as she turned to face her soon-to-be husband.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest droned.

Kristoff gently lifted her veil and draped it back around her shoulders. He smiled tenderly at her, as he always did, with that soft twinkle in his caramel eyes. She wanted to jump on him, but knew that wouldn't be appropriate in front of the entire congregation.

She began to rise up on her tiptoes, as she always had to do to reach his lips. She shut her eyes and waited for his mouth to brush hers. Just as he placed his large hands on her petite waist, and leaned in, she felt him pause.

Anna just barely cracked open her eyelids. She found Kristoff, his sweet face twisted into a horrible smirk that he would never sport in real life. His eyes were cold and dead, like a fish's. She recoiled in repulsion and fear.

"Oh, Anna," he said; his voice condescending and menacing. Nothing like the Kristoff she knew. He touched her cheek; Anna's heart dropped to her toes. She felt sick. "If only someone loved you."

A quiver went down her spine; then her world went completely black.

The princess jolted awake from her nightmares, tears fresh on her cheeks. Mary was there right away, hushing her and trying to calm her down. "Milady, you're alright. It's okay. It was all just a bad dream, dearie. All just a bad dream." The old maid rocked the princess back and forth in her embrace until Anna's sobs quieted to sniffles. She pushed the bangs back from Anna's eyes. "See, dearie? It was all just a dream. Nothing real. Now get some rest. You need your strength." A minute later, Mary was gone.

Anna slumped against the pillows and tried not to tremble. Her dreams had been horrible ever since Kristoff had left to trudge up the mountain to find his men. She dreamed that she hadn't been able to save Elsa; that Kristoff had lied just like Hans did and he didn't love her; and once, she'd even had a dream that Kristoff never returned from his quest up the mountain.

For the rest of the night, Anna tossed and turned until morning came. Mary entered after a while to bring her breakfast and braid her hair for the day. After breakfast, Olaf popped in with a box of chocolates (that she wasn't supposed to have) and sat and talked to her for a while.

"So when's Kristoff getting back?" Olaf asked, swinging his feet over the side of the bed.

Anna tried to keep a brave face, but her tongue went sandpaper dry. It was tough to swallow the chocolate and marshmallow truffle, which was her all-time favorite. "H-He should be back today. He said three days and today's the third day." She glanced out the window, to the mountains, praying for the millionth time that he was safe.

Olaf nodded cheerily. He leaned over and patted her knee. "Good. I know you and the baby miss him."

The princess smiled wearily. She rubbed her belly absentmindedly. "Yeah. We do."

Olaf left soon after, and Anna returned to "reading" a book. Really, she just skimmed because her mind was elsewhere and she now despised reading. She wished to speak with her sister, but every time she'd tried over the past forty-eight hours, Elsa was too busy looking over the preparations for a visiting dignitary. Anna was only told that it was a prince visiting from the far away land of England. He was the eldest prince of three, and he was only about four years older than Elsa. He was very handsome and was lusted after all of the women in his homeland. Anna hoped he wouldn't try anything on her sister; or she'd have to roll out of bed and wring his neck.

Finally, at around noon-ish, Anna ate lunch and requested to be rolled around the castle again. To get to the downstairs, a guard had to carry her down, but it was worth getting off the second floor to see the kitchens and the grand ballroom again. Mary chattered aimlessly as she wheeled Anna about. The princess was only half listening; really she was thinking of her husband, her sister, and her nightmares. Hopefully she wouldn't have any more of them.

Thinking of Kristoff reminded her of Sven, and thinking of Sven reminded her of the stables. She hadn't visited her horse, Sable, since she'd been put on bedrest. She knew that they took her out and let her run around every day, but still, Sable probably missed her owner.

Mary took Anna down to the stables, and at the princess's insistent request, left her alone with her horse for a little while. The princess talked to Sable and patted her nose; fed her carrots and sugar cubes until the horse was satisfied. Just as Anna was about to ring the bell for Mary to come get her, she caught sight of a stable boy and waved.

"Hi, Cal!"

"Oh, your Highness!" Cal stopped in his tracks and bowed. His white blond curls were full of hay. "How are you on this fair day, milady?"

"Cal, how many times have I told you?" Anna giggled. "You don't have to bow."

The lanky stable boy straightened up. "Yes, milady." His goofy smile reached his bizarre green and gold eyes. Meaning: he had one green, one gold. "Can I get you anything, princess? I am totally and completely at your service, madam."

Anna shook her head. Cal had always been such a sweetheart. He was barely sixteen, but had been fourteen when he'd started working in the royal stables two years before. He was an orphan, just like Kristoff, and Cal had stuck to Kristoff's side like a magnet from day one. The young boy really admired the prince consort and his gruff humor. All Cal ever talked about was getting out of Arendelle and traveling the world. Anna only hoped he could one day do as he wanted.

"No, Cal. I'm fine," the princess replied. "Thanks."

He gestured to her baby bump. "Getting closer and closer to having that little one, eh?"

"Yeah. Hopefully soon. She's weighing me down," Anna laughed.

Cal picked up a couple of brushes and came over to Sable's stall. Handing one to the princess, they began to stroke the horse's sides. "So it's a girl?"

"Well, not exactly. We won't find out till the baby's born."

They brushed Sable's light brown sides in silence. Anna made herself focus on the swishing of the brush's bristles and the steady breathing of the three of them. Then, Cal broke the quiet. "So you're husband's in the mountains to save his men?"

"He's supposed to be back today," Anna sighed, feeling the lighthearted mood dying. Her hand fell into her lap. "But it's already mid-afternoon, and I haven't heard anything . . . and I know it's probably just because of my hormones making me super emotional . . . but I'm so worried that something's happened to him . . ."

The princess burst into tears. The stable boy, stunned, didn't know what to do. He dropped the brush and knelt at her side. "Oh, princess, don't cry. Please, don't cry." He awkwardly patted her back. Anna buried her head in her palms, pushing the heels of her hands against her sockets to try in vain to make her stop sobbing. _Stop it, Anna!_ She told herself. _Stop. You're not helping anything by crying like a little girl._

"Princess, I'm sure that Kristoff is just fine," Cal assured her uneasily, continuing to pat her back. Anna looked up at him through watery eyes. "He's a tough guy. And he took Sven with him. It'll be easy."

"Yeah," Anna wiped her nose with the back of her hand sloppily."You're right. He's got Gerald and Sven with him. He should be fine."

Cal's forehead crinkled. "Gerald?"

"The head of the royal guard, remember?"

"Yeah, but . . ." Cal's eyes widened and he shut his mouth with a _pop! _He averted his gaze quickly, and dropped his hands from the princess's back.

Anna raised an eyebrow. Something wasn't right. "But, what?"

Cal turned his face away. His whole body tensed up - he was holding something back from her. She had to know. Impatient, Anna grabbed his arm a little rougher than she should have and shook him. "Tell me!" she cried. "I order you to tell me _right this instant_!" Anna hardly ever used her power over people, but this was one of those moments that she had to.

The stable boy turned and stared into her eyes for a solid minute—his mismatched gaze was dead serious - and Cal was hardly ever serious. "Kristoff . . . he didn't take Gerald with him, princess." Cal licked his lips nervously. "I helped him get ready to leave. When he left . . . it was just him, Sven, and the sleigh."

The news felt like a knife in the chest. Anna's grip loosened on his arm as she fell back against her wheelchair. Panic bloomed; anger set in. "How dare he!" Anna hissed. "I specifically told him to take at least one guard with him . . . and now he's out there all alone! Something could have happened to him! The robbers could have gotten to him! Or killed him, at the worst!"

"Princess!" Cal grabbed her once more, his skinny hands steady on both her arms. Anna hadn't realized she was trembling like an earthquake till Cal jolted her to attention. "Princess, calm down. You can't upset yourself over this. Kristoff will be _fine_." Anna, stubborn as ever, shook her head and began to protest but Cal called for the maid. "Mary! Milady needs you!"

"What's going on?" Mary asked as she rushed over. She eyed Cal accusingly as she took the wheelchair's handles into her hands, keeping a protective stance over the princess.

"Kristoff . . . he's out there alone . . ." Anna gasped.

"What?" Mary asked.

"The princess is simply worried about her husband, is all, Mary," Cal replied. Yet another person to treat Anna as a mere child to be coddled. "Please, take her back to her chambers. I believe Her Highness needs to lie down. Wouldn't want her to have that baby too early."

"Yes, of course," Mary answered uneasily. Anna, in a daze, only watched as the stable, kitchens, and halls blurred by. She didn't shake herself out of it until she was almost back to her own chambers. She saw Elsa up ahead, talking to a servant who had a bundle of fresh sheets in their arms.

"Elsa!" Anna called, happy to see her sister. "Elsa, I need to talk with you right this instant!"

The queen dismissed the servant she was speaking to before turning to face her sister. Elsa's beautiful eyes were framed by purple-gray half-moons. She seemed to be absolutely stressed to her limit. Upon seeing her younger sibling, she forced a tight smile. "Anna. Are you well?" her voice was lacking the usual warmth it carried—but then again, this was Elsa, the ice queen.

"Kristoff went alone!" Anna said in reply.

"Alone? Where?"

"To the mountains to find his men," Anna huffed in her _duh_ voice.

Elsa raised her eyebrows. "And? Kristoff can take care of himself. He did so for almost two decades before he met you." The queen was not in the mood for her sister's hormonally-induced emotional rollercoaster at the moment. The prince was arriving in less than a day!

"That's not the point," Anna argued. "There's at least half a dozen men for him to rescue. And there's robbers out there! What if they got him, too? What if he's hurt and stuck up there all alone without any help—"

"Hush," Elsa snapped. She softened when she saw the still unshed tears gleaming in the corners of her sister's blue-green eyes. "Look. If he doesn't return in the next forty-eight hours, I'll send a group of guards after him and his men. Otherwise, I believe you have nothing to fret about." She smiled at her sister briefly. "Now, please. I have many things to attend to before Prince Lachlan's arrival." Before Anna could get another desperate word in, her sister sauntered away—leaving Anna to her thoughts.

_Well if nobody's gonna help me, I guess I'll have to do it myself,_ she thought.

And with that, the princess began to form a plan.

* * *

**Elsa hated herself for agreeing** to let Prince Lachlan of England come to Arendelle.

There would be rumors flying from the minute his feet touched Arendelle shore. She'd have to put on her brave face and her polite manners. She'd have to wear her tight corsets and tight braids in her hair, instead of her usual loose plait and loose attire. The Prime Minister expected her to be putty in the prince's hands. To do his every will and word, and let him be the ruler of their future relationship.

All night long before the morning Prince Lachlan was to arrive, Elsa couldn't sleep. She paced back and forth, thinking of all the ways this courtship could play out. And more than once, Elsa hoped and prayed that it would go well. But at the same time, she prayed that she wouldn't have to be forced to marry a man she didn't love.

By the time dawn broke across the sky, the queen had made up her mind.

She would try her hardest to make the courtship work. If it didn't, well, they'd just have to find her another suitor. But Elsa would try and she wouldn't be half-hearted about it.

The servants came at seven to dress her. She bathed in lavender and vanilla. As her hair dried, they coated her body in more perfumes and lotions before dressing her in a newly sewn gown—it was much like the one she wore on her coronation day, but with more baby blue and white details than pink and green. They laced up her boots and snapped her cloak around her neck. Last but not least, they braided her hair in an intricate updo with colorful ribbons to make her look youthful. The final touch was her crown. But as the servants left, Elsa secretly pulled out a few wisps of hair to make it look more laid back and unruly—just the way she liked it.

And then, when the knock came at her door for her to come, she rose and said, "I'm coming."

But the door flew open and the old maid Mary stumbled in.

Confused, Elsa said, "Mary—"

"Anna's gone."

Elsa felt like she was going to explode. "_What_?"

"She snuck out last night and took Cal with her," Mary cried. "She's gone to help Kristoff."

As the news settled in, snow began to fall inside the queen's chambers. How could Anna do such a thing?

_Anna, why do you always have to do something stupid?_


	5. Authors Note

I'm still alive!

Sorry for the lack of update!

the next chappie shall be posted within the week! Don't hate me!

thanks for all the love on this story!

XOXO, OceansAria


	6. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! I'm so sorry that this chapter update is like, a week and half late! I got so busy with school, work, and other mess that I didn't get around to writing till tonight.**

**I hope you all enjoy :)**

**Thanks so much for following this story! Let me know what you think below!**

**XOXO,**

**OceansAria**

* * *

**Elsa couldn't believe her ears**. The Prime Minster wouldn't let her go track down her younger sister. "My apologies, Your Highness." The old man said as if her favorite flavor of cake wasn't to be served at her birthday party. "But you must stay here to greet the prince upon his arrival."

"_What_?" Elsa cried. Snow continued to pile around her chambers as she stomped back and forth in an anxious pace, icicles hanging from her fingertips. "I don't give a flying monkey crap about meeting the prince! Anna is out there, hugely pregnant, stomping through the mountains, about to walk into a God only knows situation!" She flung out her hand dramatically and ice daggers sailed right over the Prime Minister's balding head. He didn't even flinch. "I am the _Queen_ and I demand that I go to save my sister _right this instant_!"

The only sound for a solid minute was the echo of Elsa's heavy breathing. Her heart was beating as erratically as a hummingbird's, and she knew that she looked like a psycho with her eyes wide and hair falling apart from pulling at it in worry. _Anna could be hurt. She could go into labor, or get killed by the robbers, or by a bear, or wolves . . . _Elsa thought frantically, biting her bottom lip.

"Your Majesty," the Prime Minister addressed her calmly still, as if she were not on the verge of a breakdown. "We will send guards after her to retrieve the princess and the prince consort safely. But you must stay here in Arendelle. If you are not here when Prince Lachlan arrives, I'm afraid he won't be pleased. Neither will his mother."

"He won't be _pleased_?" Elsa shrieked, outraged. "Well, I'm not _pleased_ that my sister can never just _listen_ to me and her husband and never do anything _stupid_! I'm not _pleased_ that you old hags won't let me go find her and set things right! So if Prince Lachlan is not _pleased_ with my disappearance, then tell him to stick it! I don't care what he thinks!"

The Prime Minister said: "Your Highness-"

Elsa raised her hand, cutting him off. "Enough. I'm going to find my sister. And none of you can stop me."

The maid Mary bursted into the room once more before Elsa could take a step in that direction. Fear constricted her heart and she asked, "What is it, Mary? Any news of Anna or Kristoff?" She rushed to the woman who was bent at the knees, trying to catch her breath from running all the way up the stairs.

"No," Mary gasped. "The prince has arrived."

The queen's stomach coiled. The Prime Minister stepped in before Elsa could reply and wrapped his bony little bird hands around her arm. She flinched.

"There is no escape now," he hissed. "You must greet him. The trade with England is something that could benefit Arendelle greatly, and if you miss this chance, we could never have a go at this again. They are very unwilling to abide to others' customs and rules and do not care about anything but trade and continuing the bloodline. If you anger them, it could mean something along the lines of war."

Elsa shuddered. _I have to save Anna. I can't let her down like I did for thirteen years. She needs me. But at the same time . . . I am the queen. My kingdom needs me._

"Fine_,_" Elsa answered brusquely. "But as soon as the meeting is over with, I am going to find my sister and my brother-in-law, is that clear?"

The Prime Minister smirked coldly. "Crystal."

**The easy part had been sneaking out of her room.** The hard part had been persuading Cal to come with her, so that she at least wouldn't be _completely_ alone. Finally, she convinced him and he hooked Sable up to the sleigh that had retracting wheels. Anna had already snagged rations, extra blankets, and the rest of the things needed for a least one night in the mountains, and she tossed them into the back. But as she stepped to get into the front with Cal, he shook his head.

"No, princess," he'd said gently. "You can't ride up front. It's too cold and hard for your fragile body. You better get cozy in the back. It's gonna be a _long_ ride up to the Southern Mountains."

Anna huffed but did as he said, since he wouldn't hush till she did so. She piled blankets around herself and snuggled down until she could hardly feel the cold. Cal was gentle with the sleigh; driving as carefully as he could as to not disturb the pregnant royalty in the back seat. As soon as they were out of the kingdom's limits, he glanced over his shoulder to check on her.

"You all right back there, princess?"

The girl in question, however, had fallen asleep. The stable boy laughed and settled down into the sleigh's bench. And for a little while, all was well.

* * *

**Elsa could hardly contain her anxiety**—or her ice—from showing. Mary led her down to the throne room, where she would officially meet the prince that had been the reason she had dark gray half-moons under her eyes for the past week. As she walked behind the old maid, she ran her hands along the wall, and frost followed her fingertips. Silently, she tucked her palms into the folds of her dress.

Images of Anna getting hurt tortured the Queen. _What if she's fallen off a cliff? Or her horse? Or been attacked by wolves? She has her child, my niece or nephew, to think about! And I'm sure Kristoff would be just as furious if he knew what his wife was doing right this instant—_

"Announcing: Her esteemed Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

The herald's screeching cry bursted through Elsa's muddled thoughts. The giant doors swung open gracefully; Mary stepped aside, curtseying as she did so.

Elsa straightened her back. She did as she used to do in the days she was the "perfectly proper princess": she crossed her hands in front of her stomach, swept the flyaways from her icy blue eyes, and plastered on her cool, "I'm not sure if I'm pleased with you" smirk. Then she stepped forward to meet the prince.

He stood in the middle of the long deep blue carpet leading up to Elsa's throne. His back was to her. He stood nice and tall; back straight, legs shoulder width apart. He wore a long brown coat, tall worn leather boots, and navy trousers—as far as she could tell. They were completely alone in the room except for the two guards at the door.

Elsa's heart had never pounded so hard.

Just as she was about to be upon him, Prince Lachlan turned about to face her smoothly. He had ivory tanned skin and wavy dark brown hair—nothing like the men around here. His eyes were a piercing golden green, surrounded by smile lines that had been ironed there by the sun on his long journeys at sea. His white shirt was loose and slit at the neck; you could see smooth, muscular skin beneath. His grin was inviting and full of warmth; warmth that almost made Elsa—the Queen of Cold (literally)—feel toasty on the inside. He didn't look like a prince, but a pirate. He even had a hole in his left earlobe—as if he'd had a golden hoop there once.

"Milady," Prince Lachlan reached out, captured her hand, and bowed. He kissed her knuckles; his lips felt like butterfly wings on her skin. She involuntarily shuddered. For a moment, she forgot about Anna.

"Prince Lachlan," Elsa curtsied accordingly. "How nice to be of your acquaintance."

"Oh, please." The prince scoffed playfully. He was devilishly handsome. "Call me Lachlan. I hate titles. They're bothersome things."

Taken aback, Elsa giggled softly. Which she never did—except for around Anna or Olaf.

The smile lines around Lachlan's eyes creased. For a long, quiet moment, the pair stared at each other openly. Then, Elsa berated herself for being such a silly lovestruck girl. The last time she'd fallen so easily for a man—she stopped herself there. It hurt too much to think about.

Clearing his throat, Lachlan offered his arm to the Queen. "May I have the privilege of taking a beautiful woman for a walk around the gardens?"

Elsa hesitated, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the Prime Minister had entered the room. She tried to say no. But then the old crone sent her a glare that could cut through ice.

She gave in. "Of course," she said. "But just a quick one, please. I have important matters to attend to."

_Hold on, Anna,_ she thought as she tucked her hand through Lachlan's arm. _I'm coming soon._


End file.
